Electric water heater



Oct. 30,1923. 1,472,197

- E. E. SUTHERLAND ELECTRIC WATER HEATER Filed Oct. 5, 1921 INVENTOR g3% 67% frnes/ESufher/and ATTORNEY Patented 30, 19 23. v I

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST E. SUTHERLAND, OF MANSFIELD, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO WESTINGHOUSE PROD-UCTS COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

ELECTRIC WATER HEATER.

Application filed October 25, 1921. Serial No. 510,319.

T all whom it may concern: A resistor member 14 comprises a helically Beit known that ERNEST E. SUTHER- wound resistor wire of substantiallyless di LAND, a citizen of the United States, and a ameter than theinternal diameter of the resident of Mansfield, in the county ofRichtube and provided with relatively heavy 5 land and State of Ohio,have invented a new end portions 15 to prevent overheating of and usefulImprovement in Electric Water such parts of the extensions 13 as may notIeaters, of which the following is a specibeimmersed in a fluid 16 inthe receptacle fication. 12. A plurality of perforated refractory Myinvention relates to electrically heated members 17 are loosely strungon the helical apparatus and particularly to electric fluid resistor 14and on the'end portions 15.. The heaters and it has for its object toprovide holes 18 in the members 17 have flaring ends a relativelysimple, light and easily handled to permit the resistor 14 to adaptitmlf to immersion heater of relatively large size. relatively sharpreturn bends, such as are In practising my invention,.I provide aillustrated in Fig. 1. The refractory beads 66 15 preformed metallictube in which is placed or members operate to maintain the resistor aflexible helical resistor on which are strung member 14 and the endportions 15 substana plurality of perforated refractory memtiall coaxialwith the tube 10 and also to ers to maintain the resistor coaxiallywithinsu ate the resistor from the walls of the in the tube and toconduct heat from the tube, aswell as to conduct heat thereto. 20resistor to the walls of the tube. I provide A combined terminal blockand switch also a combined terminal block and switch casing 19 issuitabl secured to the ends of easing mounted on the ends of the tube.the tube 10 and is adapted to receive one end In the single sheet ofdrawings, of a supply-circuit cord 21 to permit of en- Figure 1 is a topplan view of an electric ergizing the resistor 14. 25 heater embodying minvention, a portion The device embod ing my invention proof the tubebeing bro en away, and vides an electrical immersion fluid heater Fig. 2is a view, in side elevation, of the which may be adapted to the contourof the device illustrated in Fig. 1, a portion of the fluid containerwith which it is to be assotube being broken away and a liquid-conciatedand further provides a relatively 8 3o taming receptacle being shown bybroken simple means for malntaining a flexible reand dotted lines.sistor member within an uninsulated metal A metallic tube 10 comprisesany desired tube, which construction permits of easily number ofreturn-bent portions 11 located in removin a damaged resistor. The asIieating unit may be handled by the 86 as suflicient length of tubing tosubstantially operator grasping the combined terminalcover the bottomsurface of a fluid-containblock-and-switch casing to insert the unit in,ing receptacle 12 with which it is to be opor remove it from a fluidcontainer. eratively associated. While I have illustrat- Variousmodifications may be made in the ed the tube 10 as covering an areasubstandevice embodying my invention without de- 90 4o tially circularin contour, this is not an parting from the spirit and scope thereofessential feature, as any desired contour may and I desire that on ysuch limitations shall be effected to conform to the general outline beplaced thereon as are imposed b the of the base of the receptacle 12.The two prior art or are specifically set forth in the end portions 13extend upwardly from the appended claim. plane of the return-bentportions and may I claim as my invention then extend for a shortdistance in a plane In an electric immersion heater, incombisubstantially parallel thereto. While the nation, a metallic tubecomprising a pluextensions 13 are illustrated as at substanrality ofreturn-bent portions located in one tially right angles to the plane ofthe porplane, whereby said heater may be supported (ions 11, the mayextend at any other dein a fluid receptacle, and having end porsiredangle thereto. tions extending away from said return-bent portions, aflexible resistor in said. tube, a. plurality of perforated refractorymembers loosely mounted on said resistor for maintaining itsubstantially coaxial in said tube 5 and for conducting heat to saidtube and a combined terminal block and control switch casing secured tothe ends of said tube whereby said heater may be handled to insert it inand remove it from, a fluid-containin receptacle.

n testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this eleventhday of @ctober 192l.

ERNEST 'E. SUTHERLAND.

